Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society hosts first Baby Exposition

Photo By James Smith | Prakai Parsons (right), IronWorks yoga instructor, and Katie Bayley (left), station resident and mother-to-be, practice meditation during a pre-natal
yoga class at the Baby Expo here, Jan. 26, 2013. Some of the classes provided included budgeting for a baby, nutrition for moms and several classes on baby health. The event’s target audience was mainly those expecting a baby and young families planning to have a baby.
see less
| View Image Page

“The expo is an information resource to expose everybody who is expecting a child or considering having a child, to the resources available here in Iwakuni,” said Deanna O’Neal, Iwakuni NMCRS director. “We have classes and information tables as part of our information fair.”

O’Neal also said the classes cover everything from before giving birth to after the baby is born. Some of the seminars provided at the expo incorporated budgeting for a baby, nutrition for moms and prenatal yoga.

“There are several entities on this base that provide services and classes for people who are having babies,” said O’Neal. “The expo consolidates them and puts them all in one location. It says, ‘look at all the different things here on base.’ It gives people the opportunity to get the information to answer their questions all in one place.”

Robert M. Casey Medical and Dental Clinic, Marine Corps Community Services Health Promotions and the New Parent Support program were a few of the many support groups in attendance.

“Everybody we could find that had anything to do with babies, we extended an invitation to them so they could be a part of the expo,” said O’Neal. “This event was a year in the making to get it started. I talked to a director at a different base that had done a similar event and she said it was fabulous.”

O’Neal also said her expectations were met when 40 people pre-registered and close to 100 people showed.

“I think we had a good turnout,” said O’Neal. “There are definitely some things we can improve on and we are hoping people can give some advice on that.”

O’Neal also said she plans on hosting this event next year.

Although the expo already occurred, it’s not too late to get the resources you’re looking for.